Now You Are Speaking Plainly

Lesson #270

Jesus came into the world to purchase our salvation and once that is accomplished he will return to his Father. He came to build a bridge from the world to heaven; that bridge is the person of Jesus as there is no other way to the Father. The disciples are apparently beginning to understand this because they respond in a positive manner: “His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech!”” (John 16:29 ESV). The disciples have experienced enough with Jesus to understand that he is from God by what he is capable of doing. They are also beginning to understand that the Holy Spirit will come to be with them once he is received by his Father. What that will be like and what he will do is still beyond their understanding and will be until Pentecost or after. There seems to be joy for the moment, but between now and Pentecost there will be times of deep darkness and discouragement.

The disciples continue: “Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God” (John 16:30 ESV). We have encountered examples where Jesus knew the thoughts and responded to their questions without them asking. An example of this is in 16:1, where Jesus said, “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” Then in 16:19, “Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’?” Jesus knows the thoughts of all men, even the secrets of their hearts. Jesus could come up to a person and start a conversation based on what the person was thinking. There was no need for the person to express first what the conversation should be about; Jesus knew.

“Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?”” (John 16:31 ESV). His question was a challenge to them to consider if they really do believe. He wants them to do a full examination of their hearts to determine if their faith is unshakable; faith that would endure every trial they would face. He warned them that they were about to go through situations that would test them; tests where they would need confidence in God to endure. When we feel strong in the faith we should examine ourselves. It may be that we are deceived; and it may be that God may even then be preparing trials for us that will shake our faith to its foundation.

In our next lesson we will look at a coming trial so severe that it will scatter the disciples away from Jesus.

Prayer

Father, the struggle the disciples are going through in gaining understanding is not unlike the struggle an unbeliever goes through in coming to salvation or even the struggle a believer goes through when encountering a new truth in the Bible they had not thought about in the past. Father, at times learning is not easy. There have been times when preparing these lessons that I have encountered verses that needed an extra amount of effort to properly understand, but endurance has yielded the blessing of understanding. I am so thankful you challenged me to commit to preparing these studies. They have been a real source of joy in my life.